Aslan
03-23-2021, 09:30 AM
Now, I should start by saying...I've only finished 1st place in a bowling league before...ONCE. And that was a 5-team scratch league where there really were only two teams that had a chance at finishing 1st. Never have I really came close in a large, handicap league. I think I was on a couple teams that hung around in the top 7 of larger (25+ team) leagues...but never first.
Well, this year...starting about Week 4...our team took the top spot and just never let go. I can't explain it. We just tended to bowl better than the other team each night. We'd have better "bad nights" than the other team....or better "good nights" than the other team. We didn't set any records or dominate the stats. We just managed to take all 4 points every week.
In the process...we separated ourselves from the rest of the league. Most of the league, for the entire season, was about 4 points difference from 2nd best to 2nd worst. It was just a huge log-jam of teams...except for us. We were double-digit points ahead of everyone else.
All that started to change after the 2nd Covid-19 shutdown. We cam back...and teams started to nibble away at our lead. At first, we just brushed it off as no bigee. But, as the weeks went on...it got bad and frustrations became more visible. Our anchor and two bowlers capable of consistently getting in the 200s...they are bowling in the 190s. Our 170s average bowlers that was getting occasional 180, 190, and 200+ games...he's now bowling an occasional 190s game and a couple games in the 140s. The mood is NOT jovial.
And to add to the pressure...teams will routinely send their "scouts" to wander down to our lane to check the scores...it seems like the entire league has been anxiously awaiting our demise...and now they finally are seeing the end of the evil empire.
To make matters worse, we have two big games coming up. We face the 3rd place team this week and 4th place team the following week. Current Standings are as follows:
Our Team: 68-32, 82433 pins
Team 2: 64-36, 81979 pins, -117
Team 3: 58-42, 81860 pins, +19
Team 4: 58-42, 81572 pins, +4
Team 5: 57.5-42.5, 82606 pins, +9
Team 6: 56-44, 81941 pins, +113
Etc...
Now, team #2 is the only team we have to "give" pins to...because they are epic sandbaggers. We get a small amount of pins from the other teams. Team 6 is an exception...they give up a LOT of pins to every team...because they are essentially a professional team that joined the league with a negative handicap.
But, back to the point of the thread, I'm nervous. I don't usually get nervous when I bowl. Bowling is just "fun". Even when I bowl for money...I don't usually get nervous. But, I'm getting nervous. To hold onto first place...for nearly 25 weeks...not counting the Covid shutdown weeks...only to fall out of first place in the final month!? Ughhh!!
Well, this year...starting about Week 4...our team took the top spot and just never let go. I can't explain it. We just tended to bowl better than the other team each night. We'd have better "bad nights" than the other team....or better "good nights" than the other team. We didn't set any records or dominate the stats. We just managed to take all 4 points every week.
In the process...we separated ourselves from the rest of the league. Most of the league, for the entire season, was about 4 points difference from 2nd best to 2nd worst. It was just a huge log-jam of teams...except for us. We were double-digit points ahead of everyone else.
All that started to change after the 2nd Covid-19 shutdown. We cam back...and teams started to nibble away at our lead. At first, we just brushed it off as no bigee. But, as the weeks went on...it got bad and frustrations became more visible. Our anchor and two bowlers capable of consistently getting in the 200s...they are bowling in the 190s. Our 170s average bowlers that was getting occasional 180, 190, and 200+ games...he's now bowling an occasional 190s game and a couple games in the 140s. The mood is NOT jovial.
And to add to the pressure...teams will routinely send their "scouts" to wander down to our lane to check the scores...it seems like the entire league has been anxiously awaiting our demise...and now they finally are seeing the end of the evil empire.
To make matters worse, we have two big games coming up. We face the 3rd place team this week and 4th place team the following week. Current Standings are as follows:
Our Team: 68-32, 82433 pins
Team 2: 64-36, 81979 pins, -117
Team 3: 58-42, 81860 pins, +19
Team 4: 58-42, 81572 pins, +4
Team 5: 57.5-42.5, 82606 pins, +9
Team 6: 56-44, 81941 pins, +113
Etc...
Now, team #2 is the only team we have to "give" pins to...because they are epic sandbaggers. We get a small amount of pins from the other teams. Team 6 is an exception...they give up a LOT of pins to every team...because they are essentially a professional team that joined the league with a negative handicap.
But, back to the point of the thread, I'm nervous. I don't usually get nervous when I bowl. Bowling is just "fun". Even when I bowl for money...I don't usually get nervous. But, I'm getting nervous. To hold onto first place...for nearly 25 weeks...not counting the Covid shutdown weeks...only to fall out of first place in the final month!? Ughhh!!